The 17th iteration of Red Bull Rampage in 22 years is set to reach its much-anticipated climax on Friday. And while a Friday the 13th race down some of the most jaw-dropping, hand-sculpted gravity lines ever constructed may seem a bit foreboding, riders and their dedicated diggers hope for lucky days to reach a coveted podium spot.
Diggers already have their shovels and pickaxes hard at work cultivating lines for their riders while the riders themselves are busy plotting courses and tricks sure to send shock, awe, and shivers to anyone with the stomach to watch.
How Does Red Bull Rampage Work?
Red Bull Rampage is a unique event in mountain biking. Riders and their crews spend days hand-crafting unique lines filled with drops, gaps, and enormous, sketchy descents that drop around 1,000 feet over the entire course.
After several days of work, riders get 4 days to practice and continue to refine their line before the final event.
Riders get two runs during the event finals to send the cleanest and most exciting run possible. Judges score riders on a scale of 1 to 100 based on difficulty of line choice, tricks and style, fluidity and control, and air time. It’s not just about successfully making it to the bottom. Riders have to provide ample amounts of style and big sends as they do so.
Red Bull Rampage 2023: Riders to Watch
Even with the absence of last year’s winner Brett Rheeder and four-time champ Brandon Semenuk, there are plenty of other riders chomping at the bit to get to the bottom of their lines on top.
Kyle Strait
Before last year’s event, Kyle Strait was the only rider to compete in every Rampage event since it began in 2001. He won the event in 2004 and 2013.
Sadly, fate stepped in in 2022 when Strait took a nasty fall during practice that required him to be flown to a local hospital for treatment. The crash resulted in three fractured vertebrae and obviously ended his hopes of competing in the event that year.
The significance of his injuries underscores the dangers of Rampage and the palpable tension that comes with a course of such extreme scale. But Strait and a litany of fellow veterans are back and ready to charge down the mountain again, and we can’t wait to see it.
Gee Atherton
Gee Atherton is another Rampage veteran but considerably further removed from the event than Strait. Atherton was a staple at the event from 2003 through 2012, participating in five events across 10 years and nearly winning twice.
Atherton came in second to Kyle Straight in 2004 and second to Cameron Zink in 2010.
It’s been a decade since Atherton hit the Rampage course, though, so what he had planned was sure to be spicy. However, Atherton, who already had been recovering from a serious crash in 2021, went down hard on Tuesday during practice. Like Strait the year before, he had to be flown out to receive medical attention, according to media reports.
Atherton posted a video of the crash on Instagram and promised an injury update to follow. Unless something miraculous occurred to spare Atherton any serious injuries, it looks like his return to Rampage ended before it began.
Szymon Godziek
Szymon Godziek finished Rampage in 2022 with only one rider edging him out. The second-place spot earned him a prequalified status for the event this year, along with Reed Boggs, Thomas Genon, and Carson Storch, who finished in 2022 at the top of the field. Earning a second-place podium spot surely provides a bit of extra motivation for this year’s run.
In 2022, Godziek threw a huge 360 step down and a backflip over a 75-foot gap, leaving the crowd roaring. It’s also worth noting that Godziek is the same rider who backflipped the Tour de France peloton on a road bike in 2017. We can expect to see something special if last year is any measuring stick.
Emil Johansson
Dubbed the “undeniable king of mountain bike slopestyle” by Red Bull, Emil Johansson looks like a rider ready to send on Friday.
Johansson made a name for himself in big-time slopestyle events beginning in 2016, including a fourth-place finish in his debut at Red Bull Joyride and a third-place finish at Crankworx Rotorua. He also clinched the Crankworx Slopestyle World Tour overall title with second-place finishes at Crankworx Les Gets and Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler.
After battling an autoimmune disease in 2018, Johansson fought hard to get back on top. He did so, however, with a stellar year in 2021 that included first-place wins at Crankworx Innsbruck, Red Bull Copenride, Crankworx British Columbia, and Crankworx Rotorua, according to Red Bull. He continued to take wins in eight straight Crankworx events in 2022, among other accolades.
Johansson first competed in Rampage in 2019 and finished in the middle of the pack. But considering his return to form, slopestyle acumen, and recent stacking up of victories, he is a rider who could definitely put on a show.
Other riders invited to Red Bull Rampage 2023 include previous podium finishers and winners like Cam Zink, Kurt Sorge, and Tom Van Steenbergen, along with Adolf Silva, Alex Volokhov, Bienvenido Aguado Alba, Brendan Fairclough, Clemens Kaudela, DJ Brandt, Jaxson Riddle, and Talus Turk. Anyone can send a huge run at any moment, so while some riders come with more experience or hype, it’s truly anyone’s game.
Red Bull Rampage 2023 Venue
The course should look pretty familiar for the riders who have competed in Rampage in the past. This year’s venue is the same one from 2022 and has previously hosted the event from 2008 through 2013.
The mountain is a short distance from Zion National Park and covers roughly 1,000 feet of elevation from start to finish. It includes huge drops of roughly 70 feet, exposed ridge lines, and a smattering of ramps for riders to traverse.
The 2022 course, though, looked different from the course of 2008 to 2013. Rampage rules changed in 2015 to allow only sandbags in trail construction, without any wood features common to free-ride and downhill courses. That’s part of what makes Rampage unique and even more challenging.
How to Watch Red Bull Rampage 2023
You can watch all the Rampage action live at its venue in Virgin, Utah, or streaming on ESPN+ in the U.S. Red Bull TV will also carry the event for viewers outside the U.S.
A pre-show kicks off at 9:15 a.m. MDT, and riders drop in at 10 a.m. Anyone who misses the show can see highlights on ESPN on Oct. 22.
